Mail-box.



N. 812,514 PATENTED FEB. 13, 1906.

D. W. MORROW.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.4, 1905,.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Il Il PATENTBD FEB. 13, 1906.

D. W. MOR'ROW.

MAIL B0X. APPLICATION FILED AUG-A111905.'

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAIL-BOX.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

. Patented Feb. is, 1906.

Application filed August 4, 1905. Serial No. 272,666.

T0 all whom, t Wha/y concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID W. Moimow, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plumville, in the county of Indiana, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and use- This invention relates to mail-boxes, and

more particularly to those designed for use on rural routes, and has for its object to provide a box which will be equipped with signals so arranged that they will be automatically operated to indicate the condition of the box.

Another object is to provide a box embodying the above features which will be extremely simple and which may be manufactured at a low figure.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, and it will be understood that changes in the speciiic construction shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims and that any suitable materials may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, illustrating the modifications, including means for lowering the signal when the drawer is closed. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the drawer drawn outwardly. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through one side with the parts in the positions shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, showing parts as illustrated in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, the parts being shown as in Figs. 4 and 5.

Referring now to the drawings, the present box comprises a hollow body portion 6, including side walls 7 and 8 and front and rear walls 9 and 10. The body portion is open at the lower portion of its forward end, as shown at 11, for the reception of a mail-receiving drawer 12, and the wall 7 is horizontally slotted at its rearward portion, as shown at 13,

this slot lying belowA the upper edge of the drawer. A projection 14 is carried by the drawer and projects outwardly through the slot 13, this projection being movable in the slot when the drawer is moved and being arranged for engagement with the forward end 13 of the slot to hold the drawer against disengagement from the body portion.

A signal-arm 15 is pivoted at its lower end to the wall 7 below and just forwardly of the slot 13, the arm being thus movable forwardly and rearwardly upon its pivot, and it is held against forward movement beyond the perpendicular by astop 16, secured to the wall 7. A resilient latch 17 is secured to theV wall 7 and is disposed to hold the arm yieldably against rearward movement when it is in its vertical position, and the arm may be grasped with the hand and moved rearwardly against the action of the latch 17, as will be readily understood.

It will be seen from the drawings that the signalarm when moved rearwardly also moves downwardly over the slot 13, and the projection 14 lies with its outer end in the path of movement of the signal-arm, so that the arm is received thereupon, this projection thus limiting the downward movement of the arm. A signal 18 is carried by the free end of the signal-arm, and this signal may be painted red orv any other suitable color.

In use should the party opening the box do so for the purpose of placing outgoing mail therein and desire to notify the mail-carrier of the presence ofsuch mail in the box the drawer 12 when being withdrawn would be moved to such an extent that the signal-arm 15 would rise to its perpendicular position, passing beyond the latch 17, the arm being thus raised by the projection 14, as will be readily understood. The signal 18 will then be in position to notify the mail-carrier that the mail is in the box. Should the party opening the box desire simply to remove mail therefrom without setting the signal, the drawer is withdrawn suiiiciently to permit of removal 'of the mail without moving the signal-arm into its vertical position, and it will thus be seen that the signal will return to its inoperative position when the drawer is again returned to the body portion. After the carrier has removed mail from the box he moves the signal into inoperative position with his hand.

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In Figs. 3, 4, and 5 there is shown a modified form of the invention in which the arrangement is such that one opening of the drawer moves the signal into operative position, while the next opening thereof moves the signal Ainto inoperative position, the signal being thus moved into position to'notify the carrier that he is to collect mail when the box is opened by aparty to deposit mail therein and being returned to its inoperative position when the box is opened by the carrier. In this form of the invention the slot 13 is broadened vertically, as shown at 14, and pivoted at its rearward end to the drawer forwardly of the projection 14 there is a plate a, having a spring-finger Zi secured thereto, and the arm 15 lies normally between the proj ection 14 and the plate a. Secured to the side of the box forwardly of the arm 15 there is a plate c, which extends upwardly over the slot, and this slot lies in position for the passage of the plate a and the finger l) therebeneath when the drawer is moved forwardly, the arrangement being such that when the drawer is moved forwardly the plate c is engaged by the finger b, and the latter is moved in the direction of the plate a and into a plane lying inwardly of that occupied by the arm 15, so that the finger b is moved intol position to pass rearwardly over the inner surface of the arm 15 when the drawer is moved into its closed position again, so that the arm 15 is left in its vertical position. Formed in the inner surface of the arm 15, adjacent to the lower end thereof, there is an upwardly and forwardly inclined groove d, which when the arm is rin its vertical osition lies in position to receive the finger iitherewithin when the drawer is again moved forwardly. It will thus be seen that when the drawer is open for the second time the finger b enters the groove d, and the plate a is raised so that it passes into the broadened portion 14 of theslot 13, which lies above the plate c. The arrangement is such that the spring-finger b is moved inwardly when passing through the groove d, and when the plateais moved into the broad-r ened portion of the slot the finger having passed beyond the arm springs outwardly and lies in position to engage the arm when the drawer is again moved rearwardly, so that upon the second closing of the drawer the arm is moved into its inoperative position.

What is claimed is- 1. A mail-box comprising a body portion,

' a drawer slidably disposed in the body portion, a signal pivotally connected with the body portion and means carried by the drawer for moving the signal when the drawer is moved outwardly of the body portion, said signal-moving means being also arranged to prevent entire withdrawal of the drawer from the body portion.

2. A mail-box comprising a body Iportion having a slotted wall, a drawer slida ly disposed within the body portion, a projection carried by the drawer and extending outwardly of the slot, said projection being movable in the slot when the drawer is slid, a signal-arm movable over the slot anda signal carried by the arm, said projection being arranged for engagement with the signal to move the latter when the drawer is moved.

3. A mail-box comprising a body portion, a drawer slidably disposed within the body portion, a signal-arm pivoted to the body portion, a signal carried by the arm said signal being movable into and out of operative osition, means for holding the signal yiel ably in operative position and means for moving the signal into operative position when the drawer is moved outwardly of the body portion.

i 4. A mail-box comprising a body portion having a slot in one of its walls, a drawer slidably disposed in the body portion, a projection carried by the drawer and extending outwardly of the slot said projection being slidable in the slot when the drawer is slid, a signal-arm pivoted to the slotted wall of the body portion for movement to extend upwardly at one end of the slot or to lie across the slot in'engagement with the projection, said projection being arranged to move the arm into its upwardly-extending position when the drawer is moved outwardly of the bodyportion, said proj ection being also adapted for engagement of the forward end of the slot to hold the drawer against complete withdrawal from the body portion.

5. A mail-box comprising a body portion having a horizontal slot in one wall, a drawer slidably disposed within the body portion and having a projection adjacent to its rearward end extending into the slot, an arm pivoted tothe wall and lying in the path of movement of the projection, said projection being adapted for engagement of the arm to move it forwardly upon its pivot, a plate pivoted to the drawer and `lying within the slot, a spring-finger secured to the plate and extending outwardly through the slot, said plate lying at times forwardly of the arm, a plate located at the forward end of the slot and extending thereover and arranged to receive the s ring-finger against its inner surface to hol said finger inwardly of the plane of the arm to permit of movement of vthe plate and finger rearwardly independently` of the arm, said arm having a groove therein arranged to receive the spring-finger in its rearward end and to move the spring-finger and the plate upwardly to direct them into the portion of the slot lying above the secondnamed plate and forwardly of the arm.

6. A mail-box comprising a body portion, a signal-arm pivoted to the body ortion and movable into and out of operative position upon its pivot, a signal carried by the arm, a

, drawer slidably mounted in the body portion,

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means carried by the drawer for moving the In testimony whereof I aflix my signature arm into operative position when the drawer in presence of two witnesses.

is moved outwardly, means carried by the drawer' for moving the Aarms into inoperative DAVID W' MORROW' 5 position when the drawer is moved inwardly Witnesses:

and means for holding the second-named BLAINE L. MOFARLAND,

means at times in inoperative position. JAMES B. GREEN. 

